1550s, "subject to mechanical operations carried on in a mill;" 1560s, "to grind in or as in a mill, reduce to fine particles;" from mill (n.1). Meaning "to flute the edge (of a coin, etc.) is from 1724. Related: milled; milling.

1660s, "distention with air or other gasses," from Modern Latin, from Greek emphysema "swelling, inflation" (of the bowels, etc.), from emphysan "to blow in, inflate; to play the flute," from assimilated form of en "in" (see en- (2)) + physan "to blow," from physa "breath, blast" (see pustule). Related: Emphysematous (adj.).

"a whispering, a murmur," c. 1400, from Latin susurrationem (nominative susurratio), from past participle stem of susurrare "to hum, murmur," from susurrus "a murmur, whisper," a reduplication of the PIE imitative *swer- "to buzz, whisper" (source also of Sanskrit svarati "sounds, resounds," Greek syrinx "flute," Latin surdus "dull, mute," Old Church Slavonic svirati "to whistle," Lithuanian surma "pipe, shawm," German schwirren "to buzz," Old English swearm "a swarm").

"dance in armor" (1590s), also a type of metrical foot of two short syllables (1620s), from Latin pyrrhicha, from Greek pyrrikhē orkhēsis, the war-dance of ancient Greece, in quick and light measure, accompanied by the flute, traditionally named for its inventor, Pyrrikhos. The name means "reddish, red-haired," from pyrrhos "flame-colored," from pyr "fire" (from PIE root *paewr- "fire"). As an adjective, "of or pertaining to the pyrrhic," from 1749.